Maternal Influence On Primate Social Structure

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Abstract

Primate social structures, like human structures, are incredibly complex. The factors that go into primate structure range from food availability to maternal influences, each playing an important role in how primate societies are structured. This paper seeks to explore how the factors of food availability, social connectivity, and maternal influences, shape dynamics within primate groups. In which I argue that primate social networks develop out of adaptations to their environments providing resources such as defense along with how the stated factors help primates understand and reinforce social structure.

Food Availability on Group Primates has a variety of social networks from single female/male, multi male/female to multi male …show more content…
Adapting to intense food competition is not the only influence on primate social construction. For example, Bonnet macaques typically reside in large multi-male multi-female social groups. However, in areas that have high tourism, tourists give food to primates and create uni-male groups. “This reduces food and mating seasonality, thus females are more monopolisable, leading to uni-male groups. In addition, “predators are typically reduced or absent in areas with frequent human presence”. These cases demonstrate how primate groups form in response to their ecological conditions. Primate social structure is a fluid factor that can adapt to ecological conditions such as food to best ensure group survival. Furthermore, it exposes the variation of group structure even within the same species. Now the question is, what are the benefits of these groups and how do they impact primate life? Benefits of Social Networks A benefit from primates social groups is higher rates of survival. A recent study investigating group-living primates found, “Females with a …show more content…
Direct eye contact helps communicate and gather information about other individuals. “Direct gaze is frequently integrated with facial expressions signaling cooperation or conflict” (Freiwald, 2020). Primates utilize gaze to understand face perception, decisions, and motor circuits to generate interpretations. The form of communication through eye contact and other manners allows primates to better understand their peers and environments. It allows primates to assess the emotions of others and acts as a community building mechanism as primates can use this knowledge to make decisions best for them. Primate interactions help to promote the structure of the social group. Within playback experiments, vervet monkeys were shown to understand their own identity along with the identity of those outside their own group. In these experiments, the monkey's reaction to a call depended on rank relationship. ‘When a dominant caller gave a call to dominant, monkeys reacted with an agitated response; but if the same caller gave a call to subordinate or if a subordinate gave a call to dominant monkeys gave little reaction demonstrating they understood the ranks of third parties’
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